Crypt of civilization: A time capsule sealed until 8113
Information can quickly fade from memory, prompting some people to create "time capsules," which are collections of valuable messages for future generations. One significant project is the Crypt of Civilization, designed to stay sealed for over six thousand years, until the year 8113.
Dr. Thornwell Jacobs, while researching ancient materials for one of his books, noted the scarcity of accurate information about ancient civilizations. This realization spurred him to create the Crypt of Civilization, with the aim that future generations could learn about how we lived.
The Crypt of Civilization
The plan for the construction of the Crypt was established in 1936 when Dr. Jacobs, the founder of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, declared that it was humanity's duty to "provide future historians with an accurate, scientifically selected, and preserved record of 20th-century life." Consequently, a room in Phoebe Hearst Hall at Oglethorpe University was converted into this time capsule. The crypt holds everyday items from the 1930s, as well as knowledge accumulated over the previous six thousand years.
The Crypt was designed to resemble a "pseudo-pharaoh" tomb. According to IFL Science, the items placed in the crypt include films of events from 1898, recordings by clarinetist Artie Shaw, 100 books on microfilm, including the Bible, and a small model of Donald Duck. However, they decided against including valuable items such as gold or jewellery.
"Treasures" for future generations
To help future generations easily access the crypt's contents, efforts were made to minimize language-related issues. To this end, a language integrator was used. This hand-powered device displays pictures of objects and their English names, which are also pronounced using a phonograph.
The Crypt of Civilization was sealed on May 28, 1940, and according to Jacobs' calculations, it is to be opened in the year 8113. This date was chosen to match the 6,177 years between the establishment of the Egyptian calendar in 4241 BC and 1936, the year the decision to create the crypt was made.
The Crypt of Civilization is part of a broader effort to safeguard knowledge about contemporary life and its resources. A comparable initiative is the "Doomsday Vault" on the island of Spitsbergen. The Norwegian Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores over a million seed samples from 5,400 plant species and serves as a global insurance policy against disasters that could threaten agricultural biodiversity.
